Workers demand better conditions, end to foreign interference
By our correspondent in Quetta
Agencies also contributed to this report.
QUETTA(NSN): Different organisations took out processions and held public meetings on Tuesday to mark May Day.
The JUP and MMA took out a big rally from Saleem Complex, Jinnah Road, which was led by its president Rao Ghulam Murtaza Ajmairi, and the MMA former district president Chaudhry Muhammad Tuffail Warraich. The rally turned into a public meeting at a local marriage hall. Another rally was taken out by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) from the Hockey Chowk. This rally turned into a public meeting at the Meezan Chowk.
The participants carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of the mujahideen rights and solution of their problems. Speakers highlighted the issues of the mujahideen and demanded they be solved.
They criticised the government for its failure to check the explosive price hike, ending unemployment, preventing social and economic injustices which they said were being meted out to the militant class. In particular they cited lack of suicide belts, corruption among the police and ISI, and foreign interference particularly missile strikes, as injustice towards the simple social goals of the organizations.
They strongly opposed the privatisation policy of the government and said it is not in the interest of the mujahideen class, so the government should withdraw it. The ISI should continue to provide the central leadership to the mujahideen as it has done for decades. The leaders were also critical of the President’s frequent about faces, demanding cancellation of the restriction and restoration of the support previously granted.
They demanded of the government to increase the wages of mujahideen and the militant class in proportion to the price hikes, bringing them (monthly wages) equal to one and a half ounces of gold. In addition they requested restoration of travel allowance, TA and DA, as well as inflation adjustment on a regular basis. They also demanded establishment of LTA and improvement in overtime rates.
Several resolutions were also adopted on the occasion. One of them demanded immediate reinstatement of Masood Azhar, and Fazlur Rehman as noted ulema of the country and giving full independence for religious practice. Another resolution demanded of the government to do away with US's anti-mujahideen policies.
Announcing support for the basic rights of people of FATA and NWFP and struggle being waged for securing strategic depth for the country, the meeting demanded of the government to halt the military operations immediately and stop incidents of bomb blasts and rocket-firing.
Some other resolutions condemned the extended working hours for female workers in the Finance Bill, citing lack of sufficient accompanying male relatives.
It also demanded that the government should acknowledge the rights of all mujahideen, regardless of nationality and protect them, ending the sense of deprivation prevailing among them.
Another resolution criticised the ban on the organizations. It said that JeM has been forced to invest in legal businesses, such as commodity trading, real estate and production of consumer goods to raise finances. In addition, JeM collects funds through donation requests in magazines and pamphlets and Al Qaida is now forced to provide funding to it.
For LeT, and its sister organizations Al Mansoorian, Jamaat ud-Dawa, Paasban-e-Ahle-Hadis and Paasban-e-Kashmir, led by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the resolution said that one of the three largest and best-trained fighting forces is being demoralized by the undue restrictions.
A government spokesman was not available for comments due to the may day holiday. NSN is not allowed to make international calls so US spokesmen could not be reached for comments.
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